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Local News

Friday, November 20, 2009

Drainage plan approved for Liberty Dold Farms
By LINSEY MAUGHAN

STAFF WRITER

The Hancock County Commissioners on Thursday approved the drainage improvement plan for the Liberty Dold Farms Subdivision.

Plans include deepening the neighborhood's detention pond and installing a valve duct to regulate water flow between the pond and a nearby stream.

Installation of a storm sewer that was previously considered by the commissioners, and which was opposed by Liberty Dold residents because of its cost, was not approved as part of the plan.

The estimated cost of the project is $166,000, and anyone owning property in the neighborhood will be responsible for paying a portion of the cost.

Hancock County Engineer Steven Wilson said the expanded detention pond should do a better job of protecting the neighborhood from flooding.

“The capacity of the detention pond was originally designed to handle a five-year storm. That's a rainfall that you could expect to see once every five years,” he said. “The size is being expanded to handle a storm you could see once every 100 years.”

The plan involves deepening the pond from about three feet deep to about eight or 10 feet deep, but will not alter the area of the pond much.

Wilson said that when rainwater collects in the streets of the subdivision, the water will flow into the pond. The pond's increased depth will prevent water from stagnating in the streets as it has in the past. Additionally, the valve duct to be installed will regulate water drainage from the pond to the nearby stream.

“Right now what's happening is there's not enough storage volume in the pond,” Wilson said. “So if the stream is high, it actually backs the water up so the water lays in the streets in the subdivision. By increasing the size of the pond, we're confident the water will be able to get out of the streets in the subdivision and into the pond.”

Wilson said the commissioners' action on Thursday has “given us the authority to proceed to get competitive bids for doing the improvements to expand the detention pond.”

But plans could still be subject to change, according to Wilson, because property owners in the Liberty Dold subdivision have 30 days to file an appeal.

Wilson said the cost per property owner is estimated at just above $900. Starr Commonwealth for Boys, which is the largest landowner in the subdivision, will be charged just under $49,000. The payments can be made either in one lump sum or can be added to each property owner's property taxes over a period of years.

If there is no appeal, Wilson said bids could be accepted after the start of the new year, and work on the project could begin during the winter months if the ground is acceptable. The project should take no more than two months to complete.

“I think it will be a good improvement and it should help to alleviate the street flooding that's occurred,” he said.

The neighborhood has flooded multiple times in the past few years, and Wilson said some residents have had water leak into their basements. But he said the basement problems are most likely unrelated to the streets flooding.

“We don't think the street flooding in and of itself has caused those problems,” he said. “It may be just a case that the basements were constructed improperly. Once repaired, basement problems have gone away.”

While the pond work should stop the streets from flooding, trouble could still loom ahead for some residents.

“By no means are we guaranteeing these improvements will eliminate the basement problems,” Wilson said.


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1 Comment

Jeff Davidson wrote:
Good Job
“ One half of the project is better than nothing. The cost/benefit analysis is there --$900 cost over 7 or 10 years versus a $10,000 rise in property values as Libert-Dold flooding goes away as the "taint" leaves this Dold subdivision. I find it interesting that the Courier posted a comment on improproperly constructed basements. In my opinion, someone should check into whether Dold Homes had basement construction issues. In my further opinion, Dold shouldn't be permitted in this subdivision again.
Jeff Davidson
jadavidson@columbus.rr.com
 ”
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 5:22:36 PM
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Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

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With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

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